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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26345980">Transfiguration | Gnominal Changes</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Janieohio/pseuds/Janieohio'>Janieohio</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Seven Shades of Magic [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Animagus Draco Malfoy, Animagus Harry Potter, Bad Flirting, Community: Seven Shades of Drarry, Confident Harry Potter, Explicit Consent, Flirting, Flustered Draco Malfoy, Forced Transfiguration, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Harry Potter POV, His Hat is a Mood Ring, Hogwarts Eighth Year, Humor, M/M, Mutual Pining, Mystery, POV Original Character, POV Outsider, POV Third Person, Post-Battle of Hogwarts, Post-Second War with Voldemort, Supportive Hermione Granger, Swearing, Transfiguration (Harry Potter), Unresolved Sexual Tension, garden gnome</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 06:27:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>14,870</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26345980</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Janieohio/pseuds/Janieohio</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry’s back at Hogwarts for an eighth year. N.E.W.T.-level classes, Slytherins, and Animagus studies should be enough to keep him busy, but when did Harry ever do things the easy way?  It all started when Harry decided to talk to that random, stone gnome perched in the Transfiguration classroom, and it all went uphill from there.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Seven Shades of Magic [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1900732</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>77</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>331</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Seven Shades of Drarry</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Thanks to all my shady ladies in our collaboration for your support and friendship. </p><p>This work is part of the <a href="/series/1900732">Seven Shades of Magic anthology</a>, the third in a series of collaborative projects within the <a href="/collections/Seven_Shades_of_Drarry">Seven Shades of Drarry</a> collective.</p><p>There’s also a playlist created for this anthology that can be found <a href="https://spoti.fi/2Qx1l1Y">here on Spotify</a>; seven songs for each of the seven fics included in the collection. The songs for this fic revolve around the Otis Redding songbook. Please note that there are seven sections to this story and seven songs in my list. Each section correlates to the next song in the list.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><p>
  <span class="u"> <strong> 1 </strong> </span>
</p><p>Horatio Stanton watched the students filling the room in wonder. They appeared to be older and wearier than the usual Hogwarts students, but then, he'd come to realise that his memory of Hogwarts was vastly different than this world he was now stuck in.</p><p>Stuck. That was the word that made him want to vomit. It didn't make him nauseous, as that would require the presence of a working body which he didn't appear to possess. Hadn't had, either, since the moment he first became aware of his predicament some weeks prior.</p><p>He could remember everything from before, but he also knew that time had passed. A lot of time. The last he clearly remembered, he'd been arguing near curfew with that damned Hufflepuff, Claudius Smith, outside the Transfiguration classroom. He'd been hit with something, the spell fired from near point-blank range. As seventh-year students, they could do deadly damage, and he should have known better than to antagonise the other boy alone in a corridor.</p><p>Whatever the case, that had been the last of his memories until he woke, perched here, unmovable, amongst the carved figures on the decorative trim of the Transfiguration classroom. His first thought was that he was going to call Smith out for this once he got out of it, but he realised that Headmaster Everard should be notified first. Perhaps he could get Smith expelled, even if he was a distant descendent of Hufflepuff herself.</p><p>But that was then…before he'd realised his true situation. Time had passed. He wasn't sure of the year, but when he'd seen the Transfiguration Professor accompany the Headmistress into the room, preparing it for a new term, he'd come to understand his current predicament. It wasn't just a few days or weeks or months that had passed, but years, perhaps decades. He listened in on discussions of repairing the castle after a battle, a war, had been fought here. He watched them lay enchantments on the room and came to understand that this was likely what had shifted the magic that held him entrapped in this form, waking him up.</p><p>He wasn't sure whether he should rejoice that something had happened and he might regain his life, or he should curse the magic that returned his mind but still trapped his body.</p><p>And as the new term began, he watched the students closely, their hairstyles and speech vastly different than those to which he was accustomed. Witches and wizards sitting together in lessons, not separated by gender, talking and holding hands in the most scandalous manner. This was clearly no longer the late nineteenth-century, and even if he could manage to catch the attention of someone and escape his prison, could he live in such a place and time?</p><p>Horatio watched the classes pass from day to day, allowing his consciousness to wander a good deal of the time, desperate to find a way out of his situation. If only he could get someone's attention.</p><hr/><p>
  <span class="u"> <strong> 2 </strong> </span>
</p><p>The first day Horatio began to have hope was the day he met a student named Harry Potter. Not that the student introduced himself or anything—after all, he had no idea that Horatio was alive—but it was at that time that Horatio began to pay attention to the messy-haired, Gryffindor boy.</p><p>It was a day just like any other, but for some reason, something on that fateful afternoon caught the wizard's attention. Horatio wasn't sure why the boy was in the classroom alone or why he was preparing to brew a potion in a Transfiguration classroom of all places, but suddenly, the student twitched and looked around the room, before making eye contact with Horatio.</p><p><em>Can it even be called eye contact when your eyes were made of stone?</em> Whatever it was, the wizard <em>saw</em> him. The young man, his dark hair scruffy in a way that seemed strangely familiar to Horatio—perhaps he was related to a schoolmate—approached the wall where Horatio was perched. Feeling his anticipation rise, Horatio willed the wizard to <em>know</em>.</p><p>"Well, aren't you an odd-looking little gnome?" the wizard asked with a grin. "How long have you been there? Why haven't I noticed you before?"</p><p>Horatio wanted to scream and wave his arms. Instead, he simply sat there like the stone statue he was.</p><p>The wizard cocked his head and reached up.</p><p>"Potter, what in Merlin's name are you doing? Why aren't you chopping the ingredients as we agreed?"</p><p><em>Potter! Ah, that makes sense,</em> Horatio thought as he watched the wizard pause. He definitely had the same ridiculous hair that plagued his roommate Hardwin. This was certainly a relative. Descendent, he corrected himself, his stomach beginning to sink back into despair at his situation.</p><p>"Hey, Draco. Have you ever noticed this little guy before?"</p><p>The blond student drew closer and narrowed his eyes. "It's a gargoyle. Why would I pay attention to a gargoyle?"</p><p>Horatio noticed the new boy's robes and wanted to scowl. Slytherin. It figured that it'd be a Slytherin that would ruin his chances for getting out of this abominable situation.</p><p>"There's something strange about him; I can't put my finger on what it is. Besides, I think he's a gnome, not a gargoyle. See his hat?" Potter asked. Horatio liked that kid and felt a sigh of pleasure to finally know what he looked like in this form. "I don't know why, but I want to see him up close. I wonder if he can be moved?"</p><p>Draco, the Slytherin, rolled his eyes and took out his wand. "<em>Accio</em> statue."</p><p>Nothing happened. Horatio was as confused as the boys, but then, well, maybe Magic recognised him for what he was? His hopes began to rise again.</p><p>Potter drew his own wand and cast a Hover Charm, this time lifting Horatio down and onto the table next to him. "That was weird. I thought maybe he was attached to the other carvings, but he seemed to be propped up there. I wonder why your Summoning Charm didn't work?"</p><p>Draco gave a little huff as Potter got close and poked at Horatio with his wand. "His hat seems to have a yellow tinge to it. Cool." Finally, he shrugged and turned back to his cutting board of herbs. "Are you ready to start brewing, Malfoy?"</p><p>"So, it's Malfoy again now?"</p><p>"If you're going to call me Potter, then, yeah."</p><p>Draco gave a dramatic sigh worthy of Horatio's thirteen-year-old sister, Julia—and that girl had enough drama that she was definitely meant for the stage.</p><p>"Fine, <em>Harry</em>. Now, can we make the damned potion?</p><p>Harry smirked and turned back to the ingredients. "How's the Mandrake Leaf going?" he asked as he continued chopping and the Malfoy boy prepared the cauldron.</p><p>"Disgusting. You?"</p><p>"Same. Thirty days with this is enough to drive a person insane. And according to Ginny and Hermione, my breath isn't benefiting from it, either."</p><p>Horatio's face was pointed at Draco and he noticed a change in the boy's expression at that comment—a tightening, perhaps. <em>Interesting.</em></p><p>"Are you sucking on <em>both</em> of their faces these days, then? Who knew the Weasleys could share?"</p><p>Harry laughed, which was more than Horatio expected. He'd have cursed someone who said something like that about any of the girls he knew.</p><p>"I'm not <em>sucking</em> on either of their faces. We were studying." Harry paused and looked to Draco, cocking an eyebrow. "I thought you knew Ginny and I broke up ages ago."</p><p>Draco looked interested at that bit of information as he began to take some of the ingredients from Harry and sprinkle them in carefully. "Oh? Ginger not your type, then?"</p><p>Harry laughed again, but this time the sound had a sharp edge to it. "<em>Girls</em> not my type, more like." Horatio could see Harry watching Draco from the edge of his eye, waiting for a reaction.</p><p>Draco paused in his stirring, then a slight blush rose over his face and his mouth tightened. "Ah, yes," he said, clearing his throat, "that is a problem."</p><p>The boys continued to work in silence, the sudden tension in the room almost palpable, even for a statue like Horatio. Though they seemed to work well together—Draco barely needed to ask before Harry handed him the necessary ingredients—Draco seemed stiff and nervous, and Harry's movements became more erratic as the time passed. After more than twenty minutes of near-total silence, they paused.</p><p>"Well," Draco said, wiping his brow with the back of his sleeve, "that's it for now. It needs to simmer for two days before the next step, and Professor Hawkthorne said he'd keep an eye on it and that we could check on it between classes."</p><p>"I know, Malfoy, I was there too." Harry's voice was irritable this time, and Draco looked surprised.</p><p>"Right," he said quietly. "Do you mind cleaning up here? I have an Ancient Runes assignment due tomorrow I need to finish."</p><p>Harry shrugged. "Fine, but you get to clean up next time." He didn't look up as Draco grunted in agreement and took his bag to leave. "Harry," he said, pausing in the doorway and looking back at the dark-haired boy, but Harry didn't look up, just kept working. "Nevermind," he mumbled, then turned and left.</p><p>Horatio watched Harry work in silence for several minutes, then the wizard turned and kicked a nearby chair. "Bloody buggering hell."</p><p>Horatio's eyebrows rose at the outburst—or, well, he figured they would have if they could <em>move</em>. It seemed to be a bit much of a reaction, but Horatio assumed he wouldn't get to find out what it was about. It wasn't like he could <em>ask</em> him.</p><p>"I should have known he'd be a fucking homophobe," Harry muttered. Then he looked at Horatio. "What about you? Are you going to judge me too?"</p><p><em>For what?</em> Horatio wondered, inordinately pleased at being addressed directly. <em>And what is a homophobe?</em></p><p>Harry's scowl lessened, and he sighed. "Sorry, it's just, I haven't told many people yet that I like men, and I guess I got the feeling that maybe Draco did too, you know? That maybe it'd be something that we'd have in common and could talk about." He paused. "I really want to talk to someone about it."</p><p>Was that a bad thing in this new world? Wizards and witches loved whoever they loved. Magic had her say and that was it. Everyone knew that. Horatio was puzzled.</p><p>"Whatever," Harry said quietly, still talking to Horatio—which felt wonderful, actually, having someone talk to him. "Once we get this potion brewed, there's only another week of the Mandrake Leaf, then we just have to wait until the next electrical storm and we'll have this Animagus thing behind us and he won't have to work with me anymore."</p><p>Harry sat down with a sigh, picking at a stray leaf he'd left on the table. "I bet you've seen loads of Animagi come through this room, haven't you?"</p><p>He hadn't, of course, as he'd been asleep for so many years, but he just watched the boy closely, wondering where this was going and enjoying the company.</p><p>"I think it'll be brilliant. I hope my form is something that flies or that's common enough to be useful. My dad was a stag, which must have been bloody inconvenient if you wanted to hide inconspicuously. But Sirius, my godfather, he was a dog. That would be good. Or even Wormtail's wasn't too bad. He could get into tight places and disappear."</p><p>Harry stood back up, and Horatio wanted to beg him to stay and keep talking. Instead, Harry picked him up and started to put him back up on the shelf, then paused and grinned. "Would you keep an eye on our potion as it simmers? I think you'll be our lucky gnome." He set Horatio back down on the table near the simmering cauldron, angled so he could see the classroom, then cocked his head curiously. "I thought your hat was yellowish. I swear it looks almost green now." He shrugged and grabbed his bag, throwing it over his shoulder.</p><p>Horatio watched Harry leave the room and felt the trickle of hope he'd barely acknowledged that evening form into something more solid. Maybe he'd get out of this yet. And in the meantime, Harry and Draco seemed to be terribly entertaining.</p><hr/><p>"Draco, please tell me," a girl's voice came from the hallway outside the door. The familiar name being spoken caught Horatio's attention away from the mouse he'd been watching across the room for the last few hours. He felt a little tingle of anticipation.</p><p>Horatio watched the Slytherin step into the empty classroom with a curly-haired witch by his side. "Granger, if you're not going to leave me alone, at least make yourself useful, will you?"</p><p>Miss Granger was out of uniform, wearing trousers and a purple top that Horatio had heard the students refer to as jumpers. It was still odd to see girls and women in trousers, especially as Horatio mostly saw students in robes, but he'd come to understand that things in this time were <em>very</em> different.</p><p>The young woman gave an audible huff of exasperation but nodded and stepped closer to the cauldron. "What do you need?"</p><p>"Chop into fine slices, then add when I say." He handed her a handful of green leaves.</p><p>She nodded and reached for the chopping board and knife Draco handed her. "Now, why aren't you talking to Harry? You were both getting along really well and now he's moping around and refuses to talk about it."</p><p>Draco scowled, clearly not wanting to discuss it either, but the witch didn't seem to get the hint. "Granger, if your best friend doesn't want to talk to you about whatever is wrong, what makes you think I will?"</p><p>"Because I think it bothers you," she retorted, her voice confident. "I think you don't know what's wrong yourself, and you can't stand that he's acting strangely."</p><p>"And you just know it all, don't you?" His voice was scathing and it stopped the girl's tirade, but she looked hurt. "Fuck. Granger—" Draco stopped what he was doing and turned to her. "You really can't leave it alone, can you?"</p><p>She put down her knife and straightened her back, then turned away. "I think I should go."</p><p>"Hermione."</p><p>That stopped her retreat, but she didn't turn around.</p><p>"I'm sorry." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I honestly don't know what happened. We were working on the potion, getting along fine, talking about what we were working on. He told me about his breakup with the Weaslette, then he got quiet and short-tempered with me."</p><p>She nodded, considering. "Did he tell you why they broke up?"</p><p>Draco shrugged. "Yes; because he doesn't like girls. Why? Surely that didn't get him all worked up."</p><p>Hermione stared at him and blinked slowly, then nodded as if in deep thought. "Right, because it's not a big deal in the wizarding world," Horatio heard her mutter, but he didn't think Draco could hear her. She looked back and cocked her head in consideration, then gave a knowing smile.</p><p>"You figured it out," Draco said, the accusation clear in his voice. "Tell me."</p><p>"No, I don't think I will." She held up a hand to stall the tirade that Horatio was sure would follow. "But I think it's just a misunderstanding on Harry's part. I'll fix it, okay?"</p><p>Draco gave a slow nod, then turned back to his potion. "Fine. Now hand me that fluxweed."</p><hr/><p>
  <span class="u"> <strong> 3 </strong> </span>
</p><p>Over the next two weeks, Horatio's new position in the classroom allowed him to listen in on more student conversations. Classes came in and out and he was able to gather more information about this new world he'd awoken into.</p><p>First, he'd discovered it was nearly the new millennium. It'd been over one hundred and twenty years since he'd disappeared. Which meant most of his family had probably passed on, but his classmates and his little sister, well, they <em>might</em> still be alive somewhere. Unlikely, but possible. His Uncle Reginald had been one hundred and forty-five years old when he passed, so it was a possibility.</p><p>Which also meant that the reason he was in this position, Claudius Smith, might also still be alive and able to pay for what he'd done. Horatio was afraid he might have broken into a mad cackle if he'd been able, but it would have felt good.</p><p>More important than his plans for revenge, though, were his plans to get the attention of the one student he thought might be able to save him, Harry Potter. This boy who noticed and talked to a little stone gnome in an old classroom was the key to his escape, he just knew it. But as he couldn't move, he tried to come up with other ways of bringing attention to himself. He practised each day pushing his magic through his body, but each day, nothing happened. Still, there was nothing else to do with his time but wait and watch, so in the meantime, he kept trying.</p><p>And at least Harry and Draco—the only students Horatio paid any distinct attention to—were enormously enjoyable to watch, even if they appeared to be avoiding one another. The potion was monitored by each boy separately, and when in class, they sat far apart and did not speak to one another.</p><p>That didn't mean they didn't interact, however. They seemed to each watch the other regularly, but it was generally covert and they didn't seem to notice that they were both guilty of the act. Horatio might have only been a regular seventeen-year-old chap before this happened, but even he recognised interest when he saw it. And Harry and Draco were interested. If only he could speak and help them clear it up.</p><p>On a Thursday evening nearly nine days after Horatio's first encounter with the duo—he was able to count the days now that he was paying more attention—Harry returned to the room and set down his bag instead of going straight to the potion. He wandered over and picked up Horatio, placing him back down next to his bag. He seemed more animated than usual, as though he were in an excitable mood for some reason.</p><p>"Hey there. Thanks for watching the potion for us. You've done a bang-up job." Harry laughed to himself, sounding just a little hysterical. "Merlin, I'm going nuts, talking to statues." He looked at Horatio again, flashing a huge grin. "Wanna know a secret?"</p><p>Horatio most certainly did.</p><p>"I was reading my godfather's journals that I found this summer. He's dead if you didn't know—died when I was only fifteen. Anyway, we never got to talk about sex and girls or boys or anything like that, but in his journals, he talks about it. A <em>lot</em>, actually; it seems like he was the class flirt or something. He was constantly interested in some girl or random bloke, and according to him, he was good at it."</p><p>Harry leaned in close, as though confiding in Horatio. Which made sense. After all, how was a <em>gnome statue</em> going to spill any secrets?</p><p>"So I've been reading his journal like it's advice, you know? And I've been practising my flirting, just like he describes it. So far it's just been on my friends, but I got Neville to blush and tell me it wasn't bad." He glanced to the door then lowered his voice even further. "I think I'm going to try it on Draco."</p><p>Horatio wanted to laugh. <em>Perfect! </em>This was definitely good entertainment.</p><p>"See, I got to thinking of Draco's reaction last week. I've been watching him in the common room and I think I was right and he might be like me—liking blokes, I mean. And when I talked to Hermione, she pointed out that homophobia isn't really a thing in the wizarding world. She thinks it must be something else that made him act that way when I told him. And she knows everything. No, really. She knows <em>everything.</em> You'd be amazed."</p><p>"Harry?" Draco's voice sounded amused as he entered the classroom. "Are you talking to that blasted gargoyle again?"</p><p>"Gnome. And yeah. It's relaxing. Did you see Professor Hawkthorne yet?"</p><p>"Yes, actually. He was still eating in the Great Hall and nodded to me when I left. I think he'll be up soon."</p><p>Horatio waited impatiently to see what Harry would do, and the boy didn't disappoint.</p><p>Harry stepped a little closer to Draco, just within arm's reach, and began to fix the other boy's green and silver tie.</p><p>Draco's eyes grew wide in shock. "Potter, what do you think you're doing?" His voice was a little breathy and sounded nervous and shocked.</p><p>"It's askew." Harry shrugged and gave the other boy a crooked smile, then gave him a little pat on the chest and stepped back, looking satisfied. "You always look so tidy and put together, honestly quite nice, really, and I reckoned you wouldn't like it if you were all bent."</p><p>Draco had begun to flush at the compliment but then sputtered on the last word, though Horatio wasn't sure why.</p><p>Harry looked up as Professor Hawkthorne entered the room, but then glanced at Draco and smiled a really…well…<em>attractive</em> smile, and Horatio didn't normally find boys attractive. Horatio wanted to howl in delight. If this was the kind of thing Harry had learned from this godfather, Draco Malfoy was in for a bumpy road.</p><hr/><p>Horatio now had reason to watch Harry and Draco even more closely during classes, which wasn't hard, as Harry appeared to be going out of his way to get closer to the Slytherin. In their class the following day, he moved to the table next to Draco—who, thankfully, was sitting in close proximity to their brewing potion and Horatio's vigil position—and began to give little compliments.</p><p>"That was really well done, Draco," and "Your hair looks really nice like that, Draco. It brings out your eyes," and the best one, in Horatio's opinion, that Potter gave as he packed his bag and stood to leave the class: "I saw you flying out on the pitch last night. You're looking good. Pity we're not allowed on the teams this year; I'd like to play with you again." His voice was so casual that Horatio might have wondered if the innuendo was there, but then he winked.</p><p>Horatio watched Draco closely after Harry had left, waiting to see what he'd do. Nothing. <em>Nothing</em> was what he did. He simply sat in his chair as if petrified, his face flushed, his eyes blinking strangely.</p><p>"Mr Malfoy?" Professor Hawkthorne seemed concerned when Draco was the last one left in the classroom. "Are you okay, young man?"</p><p>"Uh…"</p><p>Horatio had never heard Draco's proper voice sound so ineloquent. He felt a giggle try to escape, frustrated that he couldn't even emote that much.</p><p>"Your potion is coming along nicely, and you and Mr Potter seem to be getting on well in preparation for your transformations."</p><p>"Yes, sir. I think we'll be ready by the end of the week. Then we'll just have to watch for a lightning storm."</p><p>The professor nodded. "Well, done. You've both taken this whole process very seriously, and I'm quite impressed." Hawkthorne smiled. "I have an appointment with the Headmistress, so I'll leave you here to check on your potion. Great job, Mr Malfoy."</p><p>Draco sat quietly as the professor left, then looked around the room, his eyes falling on Horatio. "What is Potter up to? I bet he told you, didn't he?" He walked closer to Horatio, picking him up and looking him over closely. "You're an odd little thing, aren't you? And I could have sworn your hat was green. When did it turn blue? Truly bizarre." Shaking his head and putting Horatio back down, Draco turned to the potion, giving it the requisite attention, then picked up his bag to leave. At the door, he paused and looked at Horatio again, making Horatio want to squirm under the scrutiny.</p><p>"Weird," Draco muttered and left.</p><hr/><p>Harry's flirting continued, seeming to improve with practice, and Horatio was vastly entertained. Draco, however, became increasingly flustered.</p><p>"Harry," Draco said quietly on the night they were to finish the potion, "hand me the phials."</p><p>Harry handed Draco the small bottles they'd prepared. Horatio watched their hands brush and Harry draw his finger down Draco's wrist as he pulled away.</p><p>"Stop that; I'm trying to concentrate," Draco said with a slight growl. He picked up the ladle and began to pour the potion into each phial.</p><p>"Stop what?" Harry asked quietly as Draco finished, a devious smile crossing his face.</p><p>"Get your leaf ready—and you know what I'm talking about, so don't play stupid."</p><p>Harry took the Mandrake Leaf from his mouth, looking thankful to finally get rid of it. Horatio couldn't blame him; they were nasty things and thirty days was a long time.</p><p>Draco took his own leaf out of his mouth and dropped it into the first phial, then held out the other for Harry to deposit his own, which he did carefully.</p><p>"Should I only stop until you're done concentrating, or do you want me to stop entirely?" Harry's voice was even softer, and Horatio could hardly hear him.</p><p>Draco didn't answer, just held out Harry's phial and murmured, "Hair."</p><p>Harry reached up and pulled a hair out of his own head, then dropped it into the phial.</p><p>Draco reached for the remaining ingredients, which appeared to be some kind of chrysalis and water, and added them to Harry's phial before corking it and repeating the process with his own potion, this time using one of his own blond hairs. When he was done, he set the phials down but didn't look at Harry.</p><p>"Open the Professor's storage compartment?"</p><p>Harry walked to the corner of the room and pressed his wand into a stone, opening a hidden door. He reached in and turned to Draco. "It feels cool, and the Professor said it's soundproof, so we should be good."</p><p>Draco carried the phials over and placed them inside. Harry closed the door and pressed his wand into the stone again, sealing it.</p><p>"So?" Harry asked as Draco began to back away.</p><p>"Harry, I don't know what you want from me," Draco said, his voice sounding exhausted, as though he'd just sat his N.E.W.T.s or battled a dragon.</p><p>Harry stepped closer, and Horatio mentally willed the men to step nearer to the light so he could see what would happen. Thankfully, Draco complied and paced away from Harry, back to the cauldron where Horatio sat nearby.</p><p>"I want an answer, Draco. Do you want me to stop?"</p><p>Draco froze, then dropped his head. "Harry," he said quietly, his voice full of what sounded like regret. "I can't do this. If you're just wanting someone to play with, I'm sure there are dozens of people more suitable."</p><p>Harry's green eyes seemed to glow, and Horatio watched him narrow them in irritation. "And if I don't want to just <em>play,</em> as you put it? If I really like you?"</p><p>Draco growled. "It's so easy for you, isn't it, Potter?" His voice was loud now, and he seemed to spit out Harry's name at the end, taking Horatio by surprise. "Flirt with whomever you choose and damn the consequences. I don't have that luxury, so excuse me if I don't have time for this."</p><p>"Oh, fuck that, Malfoy." Harry's voice now matched Draco's, and Horatio couldn't tell if he was irritated or hurt, or just mad. "You think any choice I make isn't going to be bandied around and criticised throughout the fucking newspapers? You think I'd just decide to <em>play</em> with you to pass the bloody time and not consider the repercussions? I'll never please <em>them</em>, any of them, so instead, I'm going to please myself, and the person I like. The public and the newspapers can go fuck themselves."</p><p>He stepped forward and got in Draco's face, both of them breathing heavily.</p><p>"I notice," Harry said now, so quiet that Horatio could barely hear him, "that you didn't say you wanted me to stop. If you don't like me, say 'stop'."</p><p>Draco's breathing seemed to increase, but he didn't move, and he didn't say anything.</p><p>Harry nodded, then closed the last several inches between them and pressed his lips to Draco's. It appeared to start hard and angry, then Horatio heard a slight whimper and couldn't tell who it came from, but the kiss then turned soft, and Draco moved his hand up and buried it into the back of Harry's hair.</p><p>Harry groaned and stepped all the way into Draco then, their bodies touching, and Horatio didn't know what to do. He couldn't <em>not</em> watch because he was a statue and he was pointing right at them—and dammit, they were interesting—but he wasn't a voyeur. He'd gotten more used to seeing people kiss over the last months of being in the twentieth century, but he <em>knew</em> Harry and Draco, and this just seemed, well, wrong.</p><p>A little arousing, actually, but wrong. Horatio felt like his head was tingling with the stress and tension of the moment.</p><p>Draco pulled back, and Harry ran a finger down the other boy's cheek. It must have meant something to the Slytherin though because his eyes widened, then he turned and ran.</p><p>"Draco!" Harry yelled, but Draco was already gone. "Fuck," Harry yelled. He paced several minutes, swearing under his breath, then finally took a deep breath and approached the table. "Ugh," he grunted and picked up Horatio, sitting down at his preferred table several feet from where the remains of the potion sat in the cauldron. He set Horatio down in front of him.</p><p>"Did you see that?" he asked Horatio. "What the hell just happened? I mean, it was a good kiss—a great one, really—and I thought we were on the same page."</p><p>Horatio would have raised an eyebrow at that if he could because clearly, they were not on the same page.</p><p>"Clearly we weren't, though, huh?" Harry echoed, making Horatio wonder if Harry was some kind of Empath, but then if he were, then perhaps he'd have been able to read Draco better than he had. "At least he enjoyed it, and he's attracted to me. He couldn't fake that." Harry picked at the table, running his wand through the grooves and scratches in the old wood. "Guess I'll just have to clean up here and see what happens now. Fuck."</p><p>He went through his routine, then moved the cauldron out of the way for cleaning and cleared the table where they'd been working the past month. Finally, he picked up Horatio and moved him back to the table. "I like you here. Do you like it here? Yeah? Good." He paused, looking at Horatio. "And I need to figure out who keeps changing the colour on your hat because I preferred the green to the black it is now." He sighed. "Ah, well, thanks for listening."</p><p>Harry gave Horatio a sad and tired smile and left the room, leaving Horatio to his thoughts in the darkened classroom.</p><hr/><p>
  <span class="u"> <strong> 4 </strong> </span>
</p><p>Horatio could feel the tension in the air when the two boys entered the room several days later. Other than class, they'd not been back, and Horatio had been lonely. The looks they gave each other during lessons made it clear they each wished to breach the gap, but neither was ready to make the first move.</p><p>The tension tonight, though—Horatio imagined you'd be able to smell it on the air if you had a working nose. And it wasn't just the lightning storm that was flashing through the night sky. Draco didn't say anything to Harry as they entered but went straight to the cabinet where their potions were stored.</p><p>"You sealed it, so you'll need to unlock it."</p><p>Harry stood near Horatio, watching the other boy. "No."</p><p>Draco turned his head, and his nostrils flared as his eyes narrowed. "Don't fuck this up, Potter. We've come this far, and the storm will be here soon."</p><p>"We have to talk. Besides, Hawkthorne will want us to wait till he's here anyway."</p><p>Draco shifted his weight onto his back leg, crossed his arms, and glared. "There's nothing to talk about. We're going to use the potion, do the spell, turn into our new Animagus forms, and then we're good."</p><p>"Well, that's pretty much it, but you'll need to come back for the next week or so for practising, Mr Malfoy," Professor Hawkthorne's voice came from the doorway where he was entering. "Are you boys ready?" Three bright flashes of lightning lit up the windows, and Horatio would almost swear there was a buzzing in the air.</p><p>"Yes, Professor, I was just about to take out the potions," Harry said, returning Draco's glare before walking over to the storage compartment. He pressed his wand to the door and it opened quietly, allowing him to hand Draco the green phial while he kept the red for himself.</p><p>"Wonderful. Let me see them, please." Hawkthorne stepped closer and examined each phial in silence for several minutes. "These are very well done, gentlemen. You did a great job."</p><p>Harry nodded. "Thanks to Draco. I'm generally pants at Potions, so I'm glad I wasn't doing this myself."</p><p>Horatio could see the blush cover Draco's face, and for the first time that evening, a small smile.</p><p>"Yes, well, Harry gathered the difficult ingredients, so it was a fair trade."</p><p>The professor smiled and nodded, satisfied. "You're a good team. Well, you've said you've both been practising the spell, so before you drink the potion, please let me see it. We can't have any glitches or you could become stuck during your transformations.</p><p>Harry looked nervous, and even Draco's face was a little more pale than usual. Horatio was worried for them, so he couldn't imagine how they were actually feeling. "Amato Animo Animato Animagus," they each said clearly in turn, making a complicated movement with their wands as they did so. The professor corrected the last swish of Draco's wand and part of the pronunciation in one of Harry's syllables, but after a couple more demonstrations, he seemed happy with their progress.</p><p>"All right," the professor said, turning and clearing the floor, moving the desks with a swish of his wand. "Stand in the middle and get ready. Who's first?</p><p>The students' eyes met, and they both nodded seriously. "Together."</p><p>"Not gonna happen; sorry, gentlemen. The first time you turn can be overwhelming, and the animal instincts take some getting used to. If one of you were to turn into a predator, that could cause problems."</p><p>The boys didn't break eye contact, but Draco raised his eyebrows. "You go first, Harry."</p><p>Harry shrugged, let out a deep breath, and tossed back his potion, the deep red liquid looking a bit too much like blood in Horatio's opinion. The Gryffindor swallowed, his gaze on Draco, then turned his wand to his heart and said the incantation, making the practised movements.</p><p>"Amato Animo Animato Animagus." Horatio held his breath—well, he felt like he was, though he didn't actually breathe—as Harry stood as if in a trance, then slowly began to transform.</p><p>Dark fur started to grow all over his body, then he shrank and fell onto all fours. As his hands and feet became paws, his face grew a small snout and then suddenly, a dark black fox huddled on the floor, hunched down as if ready to run. His green eyes looked unnatural in the dark fur as they darted around the room.</p><p>"Harry," the professor began, but Harry slunk back without turning his back on the others. "Harry Potter, listen to my voice. Think past the fox's instincts."</p><p>The professor's voice was strong and direct, but Harry didn't seem to react, other than to pull his ears down flat.</p><p>"Harry," Draco started this time, a half-smile on his face that turned into a sly grin as he changed his tone. "Potter, you ridiculous Gryffindor. Is this how the Boy-Who-Lived behaves, slinking away into the shadows?" Draco scoffed.</p><p>Horatio wasn't sure what Draco was doing, but Harry seemed to react and padded forward with a low growl. The professor glared at Draco, but he kept going.</p><p>"I suppose it's to be expected that you can only do it halfway without help from Granger. Why I bet—"</p><p>Draco's tirade was interrupted as Harry morphed back into his natural form, angry, yelling, and completely naked. "What the fuck are you on about, Malfoy? Merlin, if you—" He broke off when he seemed to notice Draco staring at him in shock, a blush covering his normally pale face, and Professor Hawkthorne wrapped him in a robe he'd had ready.</p><p>"Wonderful job, Mr Potter. And ten points to Slytherin for your quick thinking, Mr Malfoy." He smiled at Harry. "Mr Malfoy was able to bring your human mind out to conquer the animal instincts you were feeling. It's not uncommon to happen the first couple of times, which is why I require that you only transform in my presence until you've mastered the skill. And of course, the clothing issue, which takes a time or two to learn to include in the transformation process." He paused. "Mr Malfoy, are you ready?"</p><p>"Uh, yeah. In just a moment." Draco met Harry's eyes and seemed to be waiting on a response. "Harry?"</p><p>Harry nodded and gave a little smile. "Go ahead. It's weird but pretty amazing."</p><p>Draco took a moment, seeming to practice his breathing, then drank his potion and repeated the incantation and wand movements. Horatio watched in anticipation. It seemed to take Draco a bit longer than it had Harry until he finally transformed, shrinking down to a creature about the size of Harry's foot, or slightly smaller. Horatio's position prevented him from seeing Draco's form on the floor, but Harry began to laugh.</p><p>"Oh, Circe, that's fitting. A hedgehog?" Harry stepped closer and Horatio could make out the thorny prickles covering the rodent's body as Draco hissed and rolled into a ball.</p><p>"Just give him a moment, Mr Potter. Hedgehogs are a bit less reactive when in their protective ball than you were as a fox. I believe he'll be able to pull himself out of it if we allow him time."</p><p>Harry nodded, and Horatio watched as the rodent began to make a strange huffing noise, then unrolled and transformed back into a very pale and naked Draco. The professor again had a robe ready and wrapped it around the young man before stepping back.</p><p>"Well done, both of you. Fifty points each to Gryffindor and Slytherin. Now, do you feel like you have enough energy to try the transformation again? It should be easier this time now that you know your forms, and if you take your time and concentrate, you should be able to transfigure your robes with your body."</p><p>Harry nodded. "I'm ready again." He closed his eyes and waved his wand, then transformed back into his fox form. This time he sat and looked up at Draco and Hawkthorne, waving his tail happily.</p><p>Draco laughed. "Harry?"</p><p>The fox moved his head up and down and let his tongue loll, then gave a little yip.</p><p>Draco looked at the professor for approval, then used his own wand and transformed smoothly into his white hedgehog form. Harry approached slowly, sniffing, and Draco hissed and stiffened his quills in warning, but didn't roll up or try to run.</p><p>"Okay, boys, now move back and transform again, but concentrate on the clothes you had on when you changed and reform them. Picture them clearly, and…go."</p><p>Seconds later, Harry and Draco both stood in front of Horatio fully clothed in their original outfits, and Horatio wanted to cheer. It was an amazing skill to watch them learn, and he felt his excitement buzzing through him.</p><p>Harry and Draco were laughing and talking with the professor, but Harry glanced at Horatio sitting on the table and cocked his head, approaching. "Professor?"</p><p>"Yes, Harry?"</p><p>"Have you been practising colour transfigurations on our little friend here?"</p><p>Hawkthorne approached, and Horatio wasn't sure exactly what they could see, but he hoped it was something that would clue them in. His anxiety grew as their attention all focused solely on him.</p><p>"Look, there it goes!" Harry yelled, pulling Draco over and slapping him on the shoulder. "I told you his hat was changing colour. It was blue when we first came in, and a moment ago it looked purple, and now it's black. What the hell?"</p><p>The three wizards gathered around the table and the professor began to cast spells over Horatio. <em>Please let them figure it out, please, please, please. </em>Horatio chanted it to himself but didn't want to get his hopes too high.</p><p>"I don't detect a colour-changing charm or anything else of the sort. Why do you have this little guy down here, anyway, Mr Potter?"</p><p>Harry shrugged. "He caught my eye and I liked him. He's our good luck talisman."</p><p>The professor nodded. "Yes, well, let me talk to Professor Flitwick and we'll take a look at him together tomorrow." He glanced at his watch and cringed. "I'm late for a detention I need to monitor this evening. Can I trust you boys not to try your transformations without me? We can meet again this weekend and if all goes well, next week I'll be able to get you both registered and you'll be set. Now, no more transformations; I mean it. I've gotta go." He swept out of the classroom leaving Harry and Draco in silence, standing before Horatio who was trying to hold out hope for the following day.</p><p>"I can't believe we did it," Harry murmured, still watching Horatio closely.</p><p>"No? What did you think we'd do then, Potter? Transform into gnomes?"</p><p>"Ha-ha." Harry looked up and grinned at Draco. "I just mean, we worked together, we accomplished our goal, and, well, Draco, I'm a fucking Animagus!" Harry ended on a laugh, practically yelling and pacing frantically around the room. "What did I look like? I could only see my black paws. Am I black all over?"</p><p>Draco was staring at him strangely, then gave a little smile. "Yes, Harry, you're black all over, and surprise surprise, you have beautiful, bright green eyes."</p><p>That seemed to catch Harry's attention, as he stopped pacing and jerked his head up towards Draco. "Beautiful, bright green eyes, huh?" His voice was quiet, almost silky, and he took a step towards Draco. "Do you know how you looked?"</p><p>Draco shook his head slowly, a light flush of embarrassment brightening his face. "No. Tell me?"</p><p>Harry took another step forward. "You are nearly all-white; your quills have a very pale beige at the tips, but otherwise, all white. Your fur is the same colour, but your nose is a dark little point, and your eyes are a deep blue. And your smell—"</p><p>"My smell?" Draco exclaimed loudly, breaking the spell that seemed to be forming between them. "What do you mean, my smell?" His voice sounded offended.</p><p>Harry laughed and tapped his nose. "Canine sense of smell. Sirius and Remus used to talk about it, but I never knew exactly what they meant. It was a little overwhelming to smell everything the first time, but the second time, I was able to take a moment and separate them out." His voice got quiet again. "I liked the way you smelled, Draco. And not just as a hedgehog, but as a human, too." He took another step closer, this time only a foot away from the other man. "Can I smell you again? Please?"</p><p>Draco shuddered. "You're weird, Potter," he said, but he nodded slowly, and it was such a slight move that Horatio wasn't even sure Draco realised he was doing it.</p><p>Harry closed the remaining distance between them and leaned in, taking a deep breath near Draco's neck. "You smell of cinnamon and orange and woodsmoke." Harry's voice was so low Horatio could barely hear it.</p><p>"Yes, well, you smell like sandalwood," Draco murmured. "I suppose I like that, as well."</p><p>Harry let out a low chuckle. Horatio wanted to squeal and hide his eyes as Harry dropped his mouth and began to suck on Draco's neck. "You taste really good, too. Gods, Draco, I want to taste you. Please let me."</p><p>Draco groaned, dropping his head back as Harry moved his mouth lower, making lewd noises of his own. "This can't be a one-time thing, Harry. If it is, just stop now and we'll both forget about it."</p><p>Harry pulled back and ran his hand across Draco's cheekbone, and the intensity of the eye contact between them was almost too much for Horatio. "It's not a one-time thing," Harry murmured.</p><p>"Promise?" Draco asked, barely breathing.</p><p>"Promise," Harry murmured.</p><p>Draco nodded, then he reached out and took Harry's hand, leading him out of the room. "Come on, I know somewhere we can go."</p><p>Horatio watched them go, his emotions swirling inside him. The events of the last hour were enough to push him to the edge of reason, and he had nothing to do but stew in his own thoughts. The excitement of the transformation, the elation of the almost-discovery, the intensity of the two young men he now thought of as his friends, and the longing for his own Dee, so long gone but still so fresh in his memories.</p><p>For the first time since that week when he'd initially awakened, Horatio wished he could weep.</p><hr/><p>
  <span class="u"> <strong>5</strong> </span>
</p><p>"<em>Good night, Dee," Horatio said quietly, kissing Cordelia's cheek in front of the entrance to Ravenclaw Tower. "I'll see you tomorrow."</em></p><p>
  <em>Cordelia looked up at him with her bright hazel eyes and smiled. "Just another month until our N.E.W.T.s, then we can go home and talk to our parents." She reached up and cupped his face with her hand.</em>
</p><p>"<em>I'm counting the days," he murmured. "I adore you."</em></p><p>
  <em>She smiled. "I know, my love. Now go, or you'll break curfew." He watched her turn and answer the eagle's riddle, then enter the common room. He let out a loud sigh of contentment and began walking back towards Gryffindor Tower. He'd almost made it to the portrait of the Stately Matron when he heard a shout behind him.</em>
</p><p>"<em>Stanton!" Horatio looked up and saw the Hufflepuff striding towards him and felt a flicker of annoyance.</em></p><p>"<em>What is it, Smith? Curfew is in ten minutes, and I don't believe I'd appreciate detention again."</em></p><p>"<em>I want you to leave my cousin alone, understand?" The boy's aristocratic nose was so far in the air Horatio wondered how he could breathe. "She's so far above you that I'm surprised you think you should be even a consideration in her mind."</em></p><p><em>Horatio met Smith's eyes and saw the hatred and disdain in them. How such a sweet girl as Cordelia could be related to this boy still baffled him completely. "Dee can make up her own mind about with whom she'd prefer to spend her time. She's highly intelligent and opinionated, or are you too stupid to see that?" He stepped closer to the other boy and dropped his voice, trying to sound menacing. "Or </em>did <em>you see that and she turned you down?"</em></p><p>
  <em>He saw a flash in Smith's eyes and knew he'd hit on something, so kept pushing.</em>
</p><p>"<em>I've heard that you pure-bloods prefer to keep it in the family. But Dee, she's smart. She's been telling me all about your idiocy and how she pities the children you might pass it on to." He looked down at Smith's trousers and sneered. "Maybe it's time to prune that part of the family tree, no?"</em></p><p>
  <em>Too late, he'd realised things had gone too far; he'd gone too far. There was no way Smith could let something like that lie, and Horatio felt the flush of fear overwhelm him, the heat rushing into his scalp as his stomach twisted. The look in Smith's eyes was deadly, and his wand was in his hand.</em>
</p><p>"<em>Mauris Statua."</em></p><hr/><p>"So, the hat is changing colours randomly?" An abnormally short man in professor's robes was standing over Horatio, his wand drawn and casting detection spells as Hawkthorne watched on.</p><p>Horatio pulled out of his memories in surprise. He'd spent the previous night and day remembering Dee, remembering his family and what he'd left behind. Seeing what Harry and Draco had ahead of them seemed to have highlighted all he'd lost. In that state, he'd completely forgotten about the promise Professor Hawkthorne had made.</p><p>"Yes. Filius, I've cast all obvious charm detection spells and can't find anything. Minerva says she's noticed it among the stone carvings for years, but never realised it wasn't part of the stonework. And it's never changed colours before this that she's seen."</p><p>Filius muttered as he continued casting, looking more and more determined. Horatio could feel his anxiety rising, afraid to hope. <em>Look at me! Please! I'm not Charmed, I'm Transfigured!</em></p><p>"There, do you see? The yellow is fading."</p><p>"I do, I do." Filius stood back. "You said Mr Potter has been talking to it all term?"</p><p>"He's called it his good luck charm for his and Mr Malfoy's Animagus studies."</p><p>"Oh, that's right." Filius looked around. "How's that going?"</p><p>Hawkthorne looked pleased. "They both made their initial transformations last evening. They're to come back in a few minutes for our next practice."</p><p>"Wonderful! I want to ask Mr Potter about this anyway."</p><p><em>That's it. He's giving up,</em> Horatio thought. <em>I'm going to be stuck like this forever. </em>Ignoring the professors' conversation, he retreated into his mind in despair, but he came to attention at the sound of Harry's voice.</p><p>"I don't know, sir. It just feels like he's listening to me, so I talk. But I wasn't sure about his hat changing colours until last week. It was always so gradual that I convinced myself I was imagining it or that some other students were playing a prank."</p><p>"Professor Flitwick," Draco's voice came from behind Horatio, his distinctive voice sounding thoughtful. "What if it's not a Charm? What if it's a Transfiguration?"</p><p>All three men in front of Horatio looked up, their attention fully on Draco. Horatio wished he could turn and look too, his mind full of anxiety and fear. He was afraid to hope and terrified of what would happen if they did figure it out.</p><p>"Go on, Mr Malfoy," Hawkthorne urged.</p><p>"Well, it is a Transfiguration classroom. What if the little gargoyle here is actually something else, something that reacts to its environment, and has just been Transfigured into its current state?"</p><p>Both professors looked intrigued, and Harry nodded in agreement. "That could make sense, but why would it just suddenly start changing colours?"</p><p>Flitwick hummed. "Well, there was a good deal of magic used in restoring the castle this summer. It could have changed the state of the Transfiguration somehow." He looked up at Hawkthorne. "Do you want to do the honours?"</p><p>Hawthorne gave a smile, then motioned behind him. "Mr Malfoy, Mr Potter, please get behind me, just in case. Filius, is your wand ready?"</p><p>"Always," Flitwick said with a grin.</p><p>"<em>Reparifarge,"</em> Hawkthorne said, waving his wand.</p><p>Horatio waited but nothing happened.</p><p>He turned to the students and smiled. "Suggestions, boys, on other spells?"</p><p>"Restituere?" Draco suggested.</p><p>"Good choice." Hawkthorne cast the spell, and this time Horatio felt the magic course through him, almost hot, but then it cleared and he was still there, stuck.</p><p>Harry came close and peered into Horatio's face, then his eyes grew wide and he sucked in a breath. "Revelio," he muttered. "Professor, try Revelio."</p><p>The others all turned to Harry, concern on their faces. Finally, Hawkthorne spoke up, his voice gruff. "Surely, Mr Potter, you can't believe this is a human."</p><p>Harry looked sad but nodded. "It can't hurt to try it, and I just can't get past the feeling that he's been listening to me all along." He shrugged. "It's why I liked talking to him, I think."</p><p>"But Minerva says he's been here for years," Flitwick said, his voice squeaking slightly. "Oh, Merlin, try it, Gerald. You have to check."</p><p>Horatio was terrified. This was it. <em>Please, let it work</em>, he begged whoever might be listening. <em>Please.</em></p><p>"<em>Revelio."</em></p><p>The room was silent as the spell hit Horatio, and he felt something real, something more than just a slight tingle, for the first time since he woke up in this nightmare. He could feel his body as it transformed, his legs and arms and the cold of the room and his hunger and pain. He did the only thing he could.</p><p>He screamed.</p><hr/><p>
  <span class="u"> <strong>6</strong> </span>
</p><p>Harry sat on the bed in his dormitory room, his head in his hands. Draco sat next to him, silently rubbing little circles on his back.</p><p>"You couldn't have known, Harry. Nobody could have known."</p><p>"No, I knew something was strange with him. Hell, I talked to him for an entire month. I should have noticed something was up that first time I saw his hat change colour."</p><p>"Potter, that gnome had been there for years. If you want to take responsibility for something in this situation, take it for being the person to notice anything was different. You've saved him." Draco gave a harsh laugh. "It's what you bloody do."</p><p>Harry glared at his boyfriend—Merlin, that sounded strange—then sighed and leaned over into the Slytherin. "How long do you think he's been there?"</p><p>Draco didn't answer, and Harry pulled back to look up into a pair of steel-grey eyes.</p><p>"That long, huh?"</p><p>Draco nodded. "Did you notice his robes? They look to be similar to those I've seen from the nineteenth century. I think he's been there a <em>long </em>time."</p><p>Something twisted in Harry's stomach. "He'll have lost everyone and everything he knows. How does someone adapt to that?"</p><p>"If he's sane at all," Draco murmured.</p><p>"What do you mean?" Harry could hear the panic in his own voice, but he felt responsible for the boy, he couldn't help it.</p><p>"Harry, if he's been there for a century, aware and unable to move, there's no way he's sane. It'd be more humane to let him end his life."</p><p>Harry stood up and twirled around. "What the fuck? Did you just honestly suggest we put him down like a rabid animal?"</p><p>Draco rolled his eyes and leaned back on his hands. "Calm down. I just suggested he'd have no quality of life if he's been aware this entire time. He'd be completely insane. But the colour changing just started recently, so maybe he hasn't been aware all this time. There's no point in worrying about it until we know more." He stood up and crossed to Harry. "Especially as there are more <em>interesting</em> things we could be doing." Draco reached up and ran a hand along Harry's jawline, causing a ripple of excitement to rush through Harry's body.</p><p>"Fine," Harry said, tilting his face into Draco's palm, "but I don't want to hear a suggestion like that again, okay?" He paused and met Draco's eye. "I'm going to do whatever I can to help him. We'll need to help him figure out what happened to his family and friends and to catch up on the changes in the last century, and to get whatever mental help he needs."</p><p>A strange smile crossed Draco's face. "Of course you'll help him. I never expected anything less." He shook his head slowly, the strange smile fading into something intense. "Are you sure you want to be with me, Potter? I'm not…" He hesitated, then rushed on. "I'm not a good person like you are. I—"</p><p>Harry cut him off, irritated. "Shut up. I don't want to hear you talk about yourself like that. I like the person you are. I might not have always felt that way, and we might approach things differently, but, well, I think I need that in my life." He put his hand up and traced Draco's pale eyebrow with his fingers, then ran his hand down this sharp nose, memorising each feature and revelling in their newfound intimacy. "Life would be really boring if we were the same, don't you think?"</p><p>Draco let out a little growl, then grabbed Harry's hand out of the way and crushed his lips against the palm, letting out little licks. "You drive me mad."</p><p>Harry laughed and drew Draco to his mouth, tracing the soft lips with his tongue this time. Draco's mouth parted slightly and Harry plunged.</p><p>It'd been less than twenty-four hours since they'd agreed to try to be together. Everything was a blur of activity in Harry's mind. The tension between them, the storm, the transformation, the smell of Draco's arousal that had overwhelmed Harry in his fox form, the excitement of transforming together, their long snogging session after—cementing their decision to try a relationship—and finally the discovery of the little gnome's secret this morning. Harry was exhausted and exhilarated and overwhelmed.</p><p>But this moment—with Draco's soft lips beneath his, the taste of his mouth with flavours of Earl Grey and shortbread and something purely Draco—this moment seemed to act like a balm, soothing Harry's soul.</p><p>And then, of course, in the way of all things in Harry's life, it was interrupted.</p><p>"Harry! I just heard what happened! Tell me everything," Hermione demanded as she burst into his room, then stopped on a surprised gasp. Harry clung to Draco who had tried to pull away, wrapping his hand around the back of the blond's head.</p><p>"Hermione?" Harry began, not looking at her, keeping his eyes locked on Draco's from only four inches apart. "What have I told you about not barging in here?"</p><p>"Uh, right. Sorry. I'll just—"</p><p>"It's all right, Granger." Draco seemed to have relaxed and was no longer trying to escape, so Harry released his grasp and let him step back. "We can fill you in."</p><p>Harry looked over and saw her give them both a sly smile. "On everything?"</p><p>Draco laughed, and that made Harry grin. "Yes, on everything," Draco replied, his voice crisp but rife with amusement.</p><p>She walked over to Harry's desk and sat down in his chair, looking like a student eager to learn on the first day of classes. Harry sighed. "Well, what did you hear?"</p><p>She gave a little huff. "That that little gnome you've been talking to all term was actually a student! And that he's in the hospital ward, and his robes look to be over a hundred years old in style." She pushed her hair behind her ear and leaned back with a sigh. "Merlin. I will never understand why all the weird stuff happens to you, Harry."</p><p>"It's the magic of Harry Potter," Draco drawled, sitting down on the bed and scooting back a bit, then pulling Harry down to sit between his legs. Harry shifted, unsure whether to be pleased with the displayed closeness or to elbow him for the comment and for showing off in front of Hermione.</p><p>Harry elbowed him, but he did it with a smile. "Idiot." He looked up at Hermione's knowing smile and rolled his eyes. "Yes, well, last night, after we'd completed our Animagus transformations, we—"</p><p>"Wait, you did it? Seriously? And you haven't told me yet?" Her screech echoed through the room and Harry just waited on her to finish. When she eventually settled down, Harry could see the war inside her between wanting more information on that, and also wanting the rest of the other story. She took a deep breath. "Sorry, we'll come back to that. Go on."</p><p>"Anyway," Harry continued and began to fill her in on the events, including Draco's concerns about the boy's sanity.</p><p>"I agree that if he's been aware this entire time, there's reason to be concerned, but Harry, you can't worry about that until we know more."</p><p>She got quiet thinking about something, and Harry leaned back into Draco's chest and let her mind work. Draco's arm settled around Harry's waist and that did more to comfort Harry than any amount of Hermione's problem-solving. The simple support was surprising and welcome.</p><p>"So, we have no idea who he might be," Hermione finally said out loud. "I'm going to dig through the school records and see if I can find any missing students from the last century. How old does he look?"</p><p>"At least sixteen," Draco said, his voice vibrating into Harry's back.</p><p>"So I'm looking for a fifth, sixth, or seventh-year student that went missing. Any idea of what time period exactly?"</p><p>"I'd place his hairstyle to be during the latter quarter of the century."</p><p>Harry turned to look at Draco. "Why am I not surprised you'd know that? You're such a ponce."</p><p>Draco just raised an eyebrow. "I'm just well-read and have a large portrait gallery at home."</p><p>Hermione ignored them and was up, beginning to pace. "How long does Madame Pomfrey expect him to be unconscious?"</p><p>Harry just looked at Hermione, bemused. "How do you expect me to know that?"</p><p>She gave him her favourite exasperated expression, arms akimbo. "Tell me, honestly, that you haven't been down there in your cloak to find out."</p><p>He shrugged. "Fine. She's keeping him magically sedated for at least forty-eight hours so his body can adjust to the sensory input. She says he had a sensory overload which was most likely causing the screaming."</p><p>"Or he's insane," Draco murmured.</p><p>Hermione nodded. "Makes sense. I have some research to do." She paused and turned back before leaving. "Wait, so I know you can't transform for me yet, but are you going to tell me what you are?"</p><p>Harry grinned. "Nope. You have to wait and see like everyone else. What's the betting pool up to?"</p><p>"Forty-two Galleons."</p><p>He laughed. "I can't believe you joined in on that one. You hate gambling."</p><p>"Yes, well, it's all in good fun this time." She stepped over to them and leaned down to place a kiss on Harry's head, then hesitated before dropping one on Draco's as well.</p><p>"I'm off to research, but I expect to know more about <em>this</em> development, too, when you're ready. I'm really happy for you both."</p><p>Harry knew she'd be okay with it, so the rush of relief at her statement was a surprise. "Thanks, Hermione. That means a lot."</p><p>She smiled and stepped to the door. "And <em>that</em> particular pool is up to fifty-two, and I'm pretty sure I just won." She closed the door behind her leaving them both in silence.</p><p>"Did she just say—"</p><p>"Yeah," Harry answered. "Guess we don't have to worry about the reaction of the other eighth-years."</p><p>"Fucking Gryffindors."</p><p>Harry turned with a grin. "Not yet, but maybe soon."</p><p>Draco pounced.</p><hr/><p>
  <span class="u"> <strong>7</strong> </span>
</p><p>Harry stood under his invisibility cloak across the room, watching the boy in the hospital bed and listening to Pomfrey give McGonagall an update on the boy's status. Their backs were turned, so it seemed it was only Harry who could see the boy's eyelids flutter and his face tighten in what Harry assumed was pain. An alarm sounded from the monitoring spells, though, and drew the witches' attention back to the bed.</p><p>"Calm down, it's okay. You're safe," Madam Pomfrey said, her tone soft and gentle. "I've got a Calming Draught here if you can open your mouth to take it."</p><p>The boy moaned, and Harry's heart went out to him. He'd been in that position too many times to count and knew the fear and disorientation the boy must be feeling.</p><p>"That's it," she said as she poured the potion into his mouth. "Now swallow."</p><p>After several moments, the boy opened his eyes, and Harry drew closer to watch. "I'm Madame Pomfrey," she said quietly. "I'm the Matron. Do you know where you are?"</p><p>"Hogwarts," he said, his voice barely audible.</p><p>"Excellent," Madame Pomfrey said encouragingly. "We need to know your name. Can you tell us who you are?"</p><p>Harry leaned in, but could only make out something that sounded like "hor-show". Pomfrey nodded and looked at McGonagall.</p><p>"Headmistress?" she prompted.</p><p>"Young man, we're trying to figure out what happened to you. I understand you need to recover, but could you tell us your date of birth? That will answer a lot of questions we have, then we'll let you sleep and maybe we can talk more later."</p><p>But there was no answer. The boy was once again unconscious.</p><hr/><p>"Miss Granger, this is amazing research you've done here, and in such a short time."</p><p>Harry watched Hermione blush from where she sat beside him, Draco on her other side. "Draco helped me, and together we were able to make quick work of it."</p><p>The Headmistress gave them both an indulgent smile. "I'm glad you've been able to work so well together. And you, Mr Potter?"</p><p>"Well, I wanted to be included. I reckon I want to help him if I can."</p><p>McGonagall's indulgent smile became something softer, her eyes and face relaxing and reminding Harry of the way Molly looked at her children when they did something she approved of. It made him feel warm and fuzzy, but he pushed it away to think about later.</p><p>"So, his name is Horatio Stanton," Hermione summarised. "He was born in 1872 and attended Hogwarts from 1883 to 1891, at which time he disappeared in May of his seventh year. There was no trace of his leaving the school grounds, and his body was never found. It was assumed he wandered into the Forbidden Forest and was killed, as he was a N.E.W.T. level Care of Magical Creatures student working towards an apprenticeship. He was a Gryffindor and an overall good student. His father was a Muggleborn, and his mother's family was a branch of the Shacklebolts, and together they owned and ran a bookstore in Godric's Hollow. His only sibling was a younger sister who eventually married into the Abbott family." Hermione paused. "The parents died in the 1920s, and his sister was killed in World War Two."</p><p>McGonagall nodded gravely, and Harry's heart went out to the boy. Hermione had already shown him all of this information, but he couldn't think past the fact that Horatio would learn he'd lost his entire family. Everyone was gone.</p><p>"He won't be alone," Harry muttered, then looked up as everyone looked at him. "I won't let him be alone."</p><p>Hermione took his hand and squeezed, and McGonagall gave him that smile again. "We know, Harry," the Headmistress said softly. "We know."</p><hr/><p>Horatio opened his eyes, seeing the ceiling to what appeared to be the Hospital Wing of Hogwarts. His face itched and he moved his hand to scratch, then paused in shock.</p><p>He could touch his face. He'd done it; he was free!</p><p>He heard an alarm charm beeping across the room and assumed his awakened state would be drawing the attention of whoever was taking care of him. He'd dreamt of this moment for months. The worry about what he'd do next was there, but mostly it was anxiety about the reactions of the people around him.</p><p>As silence returned, he braced himself, waiting to see what would happen.</p><p>"Uh, hi," came a voice from the doorway to the Hospital Wing, and Harry stepped in. Horatio relaxed slightly, seeing the familiar messy hair and crooked smile. "You're awake," Harry said as he reached the bed. "Madame Pomfrey sent for me. She thought, well, since I've been talking to you for weeks, you might recognise me."</p><p>Horatio tried to speak but started to cough, and Harry quickly conjured a glass, filling it with water. Horatio took a long drink, then handed it back and smiled. "Thanks," he said, his voice sounding strange to his ears. "I think I have a lot to thank you for, actually."</p><p>Harry looked disgruntled at the thanks but finally nodded. "We have a lot of questions, but I don't want to overwhelm you with them all. That's also why they sent me in first." He paused. "I can usually tell when people don't want to talk." He shrugged. "Usually, that's me."</p><p>"Really?" Horatio asked, confused. "You seemed to like to talk."</p><p>Harry laughed, his face relaxing. "Well, you were a gnome. It's easier to talk to something that's not going to talk back."</p><p>"Oh," Horatio said, considering. "I'm glad you did. Who knows how long I'd have sat there otherwise."</p><p>Harry pulled a chair over and sat down. "About that. Are you able to tell me how long you think you sat there?" He shuffled, appearing uncomfortable with the topic. "What exactly are you aware of?"</p><p>Horatio considered, then nodded. "I think I've been there for decades, haven't I? But I wasn't aware of anything until shortly before school started this term. I managed to sort of drift off into my thoughts for long periods of time, but when you started talking to me, I could concentrate and be more aware of time passing."</p><p>Harry nodded. "That makes sense. So yeah, decades. Uh, we think your name is Horatio; is that right?"</p><p>Horatio beamed, pleased that he wasn't going to have to fill them in on everything. "Yes, Horatio Stanton. And this is the 1990s, isn't it?"</p><p>Harry looked surprised.</p><p>"Someone was talking about the turn of the millennium one day. I've had months to come to terms with it, really, that everything I know and everyone I loved is gone." He paused. "That even if I were rescued, I'd be alone."</p><p>Harry reached out and grabbed Horatio's arm. "We've done some research and I'm not going to lie, your family is all passed on. But you're not alone. I'm going to help you in any way I can."</p><p>Horatio watched the other boy intently, trying to figure out what he was seeing in those deep green eyes. "Why?"</p><p>Harry smiled. "Because I know what it's like to be alone. I don't have any family either, and, well, I can help, so I will if you'll let me."</p><p>Horatio nodded, unsure what else to say. "I suppose that would be nice. Thank you."</p><p>"Good." Standing up, Harry began to pace a bit and Horatio just watched as the other boy seemed to gather his thoughts. Finally, he stopped and looked at Horatio. "I forgot to ask. How did this happen? Do you remember what caused all this?"</p><p>Horatio felt a stab of anger pierce through him and growled, "Smith."</p><hr/><p>"Claudius Smith," Hermione began. "Hufflepuff, great-great-grandfather to our own Zacharias Smith. The whole family are descendants of Helga Hufflepuff."</p><p>"And evidently Zacharias comes by his arseholeness honestly," Harry muttered.</p><p>"Arseholeness, huh? Nice, Potter," Malfoy drawled from his seat next to him.</p><p>"Thanks. It's true," he said, leaning over with a grin and giving Draco a kiss on the cheek.</p><p>Hermione rolled her eyes, but Harry could tell she was suppressing a grin as she continued. "Horatio's girlfriend Cordelia was Claudius's cousin, and from what Horatio says, there was concern that he wasn't of the right class and blood status to be considered a viable prospect for her. Horatio and Claudius had an argument, then Claudius hit Horatio with a spell and he didn't know anything else until he woke up after the war."</p><p>Harry shook his head, the anger burning in his throat. "But how did Claudius get away with that?"</p><p>Draco interrupted. "With no body, no evidence, and a highly placed family, there's not much they could have done." He looked at Hermione. "Did anyone suspect Claudius at all?"</p><p>"According to the records, Cordelia made some accusations, but nothing was able to be substantiated. With Horatio's work with the forest creatures, it was just accepted that he was killed accidentally in the forest and the case was closed. It didn't seem to matter that she claimed she'd been with him that night, and he was just heading back to the Gryffindor tower after walking her back to her own common room. He never made it."</p><p>"What happened to Claudius?" Harry asked, his mind reeling. "And Cordelia?"</p><p>"Well, that's the interesting part, actually," Hermione said thoughtfully. "Claudius got caught up in Grindlewald's politics in the 1930s and was arrested for the murder of twenty-three Muggles. He died in Azkaban in 1936."</p><p>Harry let out a long whistle. "Well, at least there's some justice there, though maybe those deaths could have been prevented if he'd been caught as a kid." He sighed. "I can't wait to fill Horatio in on that."</p><p>Hermione nodded. "Yeah. Well, Cordelia…" Hermione paused. "Harry, she's still alive. Very old, widowed, but still strong and alive. She lives in Cornwall with her great-grandson."</p><p>Harry reached for Draco's hand and felt a gentle squeeze in return. "Oh, Merlin, I don't know if that's a good thing or bad thing."</p><p>Hermione nodded. "I know. But maybe it'll help Horatio have some closure, to see she was able to be happy and live a long life, and she didn't sit around pining for him."</p><p>"Yeah, I think that might actually help."</p><p>"How's he feeling?"</p><p>"Overwhelmed. Pomfrey says he'll be done with his inoculations and stuff by the end of the week."</p><p>She let out a little sigh. "McGonagall has asked me to mentor him in classes starting next week until we see where he is. It was a different curriculum then, but he took most of the same classes I do, with the exception of Magical Creatures."</p><p>Draco spoke up. "If anything, he'll be ahead of us, I think. Father always lamented how much further behind our curriculum was now than what it was in my grandfather's time. It's why he often gave me extra lessons at home and I had extra tutors over the summers before the war."</p><p>Hermione scowled, and Harry assumed it was at the loss of any kind of learning. "Yes, well, the plan is to get him ready to sit for N.E.W.T.s with us this spring, and in the meantime, get him acclimated to his new time."</p><p>Harry was tired of talking about it, his stomach twisting as he thought of his new friend's coming battle. He glanced up and grinned at Draco, ready to change the subject.</p><p>"So who won the pool?" he asked Hermione.</p><p>She smiled. "The Harry-Draco pool? I did, of course. I had you down for the first week of November, and that Harry would make the first move."</p><p>"Wait, I didn't tell you that. How'd you know?" Harry objected, annoyed that she could read him so well.</p><p>She rolled her eyes and Draco answered with a scoff. "Your flirting, Potter, was getting a bit obvious."</p><p>"Well, Sirius said in his journal that you had to be obvious with Slytherins or they'd just think you were up to something."</p><p>Draco narrowed his grey eyes, making Hermione chuckle.</p><p>"What about the other one?" Harry finally asked.</p><p>"Other—" Hermione paused, then her eyes grew wide in excitement. "Are you able to show us now?"</p><p>"Depends. Is the betting closed?"</p><p>She nodded. "We stopped taking wagers when you were successful, in case anyone managed to peek in on a lesson."</p><p>Harry glanced to Draco and nodded, then they both turned. Harry could smell Hermione's delight as she looked at them and clapped. He reached out a paw to poke at the white hedgehog on the bed next to him, prompting a chuffing hiss. They turned back and she threw her arms around him, then moved to Draco and gave him a matching hug; it was adorable, watching him learn to accept a hug from the bushy-haired witch.</p><p>Hermione sat down with a laugh, and then considered and looked at Draco. "We might have to distribute the pool money on who got the closest. I don't think anyone guessed a hedgehog, but there <em>was</em> a bet for a squirrel and one for a ferret."</p><p>"Fucking Weasley," Draco muttered, and Harry laughed.</p><p>"I'm just so proud of you both. This is a huge accomplishment, and to think you not only did it together, but you're actually <em>together </em>now. And that's not even talking about everything going on with Horatio."</p><p>"Yeah," Harry agreed, then looked over at Draco and gave a sly smile. "It's been a good year so far," then he leaned in and captured Draco's mouth. He heard Hermione slip out of the room and close the door behind her and gave a pleased grunt as Draco pushed him back on the bed. A good year so far, indeed.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>Finis... or is it? Bonus chapter/epilogue ahead...</em>
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<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Epilogue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Epilogue... What happened with Horatio and his Dee?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I originally marked this story as complete with the one chapter, and I had every intention of leaving it there. After all, my Harry/Draco story was complete and resolved and that was what I'd started out to do. To my surprise and delight, I've had quite a few requests (between here and FFnet) for an epilogue giving Horatio and Cordelia some resolution. I'm so glad my OCs resonated with some of you, so without further ado, please enjoy my bonus chapter/epilogue. I don't intend to carry this beyond this chapter, but I will say that I often overlap my universes, so don't be surprised if Horatio and/or Cordelia make cameo appearances in some of my other stories in the future. Thanks for reading!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Cordelia Brocklehurst sat at the table in her back parlour, watching the late-winter, early morning sun filter through the clouds. She'd put aside her knitting, her knuckles swollen and aching in the cold, damp weather. Instead, she studied the branches of the tree outside the window trying to bud and let her mind wander.</p><p>She was nervous. <em>Merlin</em>, she was nervous.</p><p>The emotions of the last months had been tumultuous, but time, that healer of all things, evened it out. The fear was gone, though that had been first. Fear for the family she'd built, and what she'd feel, what the boy she'd loved would feel. Fear that she'd regret the life she'd led and wish it all undone.</p><p>But then she'd looked through the photos and mementoes of her life, and she'd watched her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren over the holidays. There was no room for regret, not for her. Everything had led her to those she cherished and loved, and she wouldn't give them up for anything.</p><p>Still…</p><p>Still, she wished the price hadn't been so dear. <em>Horatio.</em></p><p>Her first love—the man she'd agreed to marry after they'd finished their schooling. They were going to be together, and explore the world for a few years, studying his Magical Creatures while she worked on her Transfiguration Mastery, then they'd buy a house together near Hogsmeade and raise a family. They'd been so happy and had such dreams.</p><p>And then he'd been gone. Just like a snap of the fingers of a house-elf, he'd disappeared, and she'd been alone. She'd had to push forwards, alone, and finish her schooling and go to France for her Mastery while attempting to put herself back together, to find the pieces of herself she'd lost.</p><p>And then she met Richard, and while it wasn't as exciting and new and fresh as it had been with Horatio, it was sturdy and solid and real. He was there, and he never asked her to forget or to be someone else or to put on airs. He was Muggle-born, and he had so many ideas and no preconceptions of what a pure-blood witch should do. He'd dazzled her, and they'd been happy together for over sixty years.</p><p>When Richard had died during the First Wizarding War, Cordelia had poured all her love and energy into her grandchildren's children. She was known to them all as Grandma Dee, and she'd made sure they grew in happiness and kindness and love.</p><p>So no, no regrets. Only that Horatio would have had the chance to grow and be cherished as she had, and that she'd known what had happened to him. Had received some kind of…<em>what was it Mandy had called it? Closure. Yes, that was it.</em> Closure.</p><p>As though her thoughts had summoned the girl, Mandy entered the room with a bright smile, her dark blonde hair pulled into a ponytail and her hazel eyes, so closely the match of Cordelia's own, sparkling. "Grandma Dee, are you excited? I'm excited for you!" She picked up the kettle of water and filled the teapot, then sat across the table.</p><p>"Excited, yes, and nervous. I haven't seen him since I was your age, dear. I really have no idea what to expect."</p><p>Mandy gave a little sigh and reached out her hand; Cordelia placed her own on top and marvelled at the differences. Mandy's was smooth, clear, and flush with the bloom of youth; Cordelia's own was spotted with age, wrinkled, and her knuckles swollen at the joints. But she smiled at her great-granddaughter and gave her hand a squeeze. "Thank you for being here, Mandy. You're a balm to my spirits."</p><p>Mandy stood and gave Cordelia a small peck on her cheek, then turned to pour the tea. "There's nowhere else I'd rather be, Grandma Dee. And I'll stay in the room as long as you need me, but just send me for tea if you want a few minutes alone, okay?"</p><p>Cordelia smiled. "You're a doll."</p>
<hr/><p>Nearly an hour later, the doorbell buzzed and Mandy glanced her way, her eyebrows raised in question.</p><p>"Go ahead. I'm ready," Cordelia urged, then took a deep breath and steadied her stomach. Mandy left the room, then voices drifted in from the hallway.</p><p>"Are you sure she wants to see me? I don't want to upset her," she heard a young man saying, and it was as though she were eighteen again, the sound of his voice throwing her back in time. She must have stood and crossed the room, though she didn't remember doing it, because suddenly she was at the doorway, and Mandy was opening the door and he was there.</p><p>Horatio.</p><p>The fear returned, and she was torn. She wanted to drink in every curve of his face, every tussle of his dark brown hair, and more than anything, she wanted to hold him in her arms and remember. But… What if she looked in his eyes and saw revulsion or disgust at the old woman she'd become, while he stood there still so young and solid and <em>real?</em></p><p>"Dee?" Horatio stood, so close and so far away, his voice questioning. "Dee, won't you look at me?"</p><p>Cordelia was vaguely aware of Mandy moving to the corner of the room and settling herself in a chair out of the way. The girl always did have good manners. Her attention was drawn back to Horatio, though, as he took a step closer. Just one step.</p><p>"Dee?" His voice cracked, and that pushed through her. She looked up and into those eyes, so clear and blue and filled with tears. There was no anger or pity or disgust, just pleading and sorrow.</p><p>She did the only thing she could. She stepped forwards and wrapped him in her arms. "Horatio."</p><p>He buried his face in her neck and she could feel the tears dampening her skin, her heart breaking for the boy who'd lost everything.</p><p>"Mandy, can we have some tea, dear?" She heard the girl leave and reached up, running her hand across Horatio's back as though not a day had passed. "Horatio, love, I'm here," she murmured. "I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry."</p><p>She led him over to the sofa and drew him down to sit next to her. Taking his hands in hers, she looked up into his clear blue gaze. He looked so lost. "Don't," he started, surprising her. "Don't be sorry," he clarified.</p><p>"But, I am. My horrible cousin—and he got away with it—and you were there, all that time while I was just out here, living my life. All of us were, and you were there, trapped, and—"</p><p>He cut her off, putting two fingers to her lips, a habit of his she'd forgotten about. "Dee, they told me you tried. You did everything you could; you couldn't have known. And let's not talk about your cousin. Hermione told me he paid in the end, and I'm satisfied." He took a deep breath and she saw his eyes flicker across her face. "When I woke up—when I became aware—it was torture. I'd not realised any time had passed, and I wanted to get out, to get to you, to be with you."</p><p>She felt a little sob try to escape her throat but worked to hold it in. She didn't want to make this any harder on him than it already was.</p><p>"When I figured it out, my first thought was of you. What happened to you? Had you grieved for me? Had your parents made you marry Smith? Were you able to be happy?" He gave her a little smile, searching her eyes. "Were you? Were you able to be happy?"</p><p>She felt the tears burning and nodded. "Very. It took a while, and it was a hard fight at times to break away from the family expectations and live the life I wanted, but I did it. Every time I considered giving up, I thought of you and what you'd want me to do. And when I married my Richard, I felt at peace that I was living the life you wanted for me."</p><p>A smile tugged on his lips even as a tear escaped down his cheek. "Good. I'm so glad." He leaned back and wiped at his face, then attempted to straighten his robes and hair and cleared his throat. "I'm not ready yet, but maybe we can talk again another day and you can tell me about your Richard, and show me pictures and such? I know things are changed and all, but I really hope you can still be part of my life. If you don't mind?"</p><p>His eyes were beseeching and there was nothing she could do but agree. "Of course. I wouldn't have it any other way."</p><p>He looked relieved, then jumped up when Mandy came back into the room carrying a tray of tea and biscuits. He waited until she'd set the tray on the table and had settled onto the chair across from them before he sat back down. Cordelia smiled at that reminder of his nineteenth-century manners. <em>Things had been different then</em>, she mused.</p><p>"So, is everything settled now?" Mandy asked, her voice light and cheerful. At Cordelia's nod, the girl gave them both a blazing smile and began to chat. "I hear Hogwarts is pretty full this year with the extra students, but I spoke with Hermione and she says you've settled into the new dormitories and she's been giving you lessons on all you've missed."</p><p>Cordelia watched Horatio nod and sit stunned at the whirlwind that was her great-granddaughter. It made her smile.</p><p>"Yes, well," he responded, "between Hermione, Harry, Draco, and Pansy, they've taken good care of me." He glanced at Cordelia and the first large smile she'd seen from him in over a century filled his face. "And Harry helped me set up a Magizoology Apprenticeship. I'll be spending the summer with Hagrid, the current Care of Magical Creatures Professor, then I'll be spending part of the next year on a Dragon Reserve in Romania."</p><p>Cordelia felt her heart swell at the excitement she saw on his face. "That's wonderful, Darling. You'll be amazing."</p><p>"I hope so," he said, his voice quieter now.</p><p>They sat together for a while, discussing his plans and inconsequential details of their lives, Cordelia just taking in the unexpected comfort his presence brought her. Finally, he set down his tea and looked around the room. "I think I should probably go. I've got an appoint—" He stopped himself and shook his head. "This has been a lot to take in. But maybe I could come by next weekend as well? We're on Easter Holiday for another ten days, and, well, I'd like to see you again." He looked over at Mandy and smiled. "And you too, Miss Brocklehurst. It was lovely meeting you."</p><p>Mandy nodded, her smile still in place. "Grandma Dee, I'm free next Saturday morning. Does that work for you?"</p><p>Cordelia chuckled and nodded at the girl's enthusiasm, then took Horatio's hand in hers and squeezed. "This is really good. Thank you for coming, Horatio." Her voice dropped so only he could hear. "I've missed you so much."</p><p>He squeezed hers and let go. "Until next week, then. I'm counting the days," he murmured, then turned and followed her granddaughter out the door.</p><p>"I adore you," she answered to herself, the distant memory of their last goodbye echoing in her head. She took out her pocket watch and glanced at the time, then smiled at the picture of her dear Richard opposite the clock face. "It was good," she told him, the wizarding photo nodding in response. "It's a lucky woman who loves more than once."</p><p>Taking a deep breath, she put away her watch and glanced at the now clear blue sky teasing her from above. <em>No more maudlin thoughts,</em> she told herself, then went to find her granddaughter. It was a beautiful spring day, and they had things to do.</p>
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  <em>Finis... For real this time.</em>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Kudos and comments are the best and very much appreciated. Thank you so much for reading!</p><p>This work is part of the <a href="/series/1900732">Seven Shades of Magic anthology</a>, a series of Drarry fics inspired by Hogwarts’ seven core subjects.</p><p>There’s also a playlist created for this anthology that can be found <a href="https://spoti.fi/2Qx1l1Y">here on Spotify</a>; seven songs for each of the seven fics included in the collection.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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